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Introducing Dir’aiyah
The ancestral home of the Al-Saud family and the birthplace of the Saudi-Wahhabi union,Old Dir’aiyah(486 0274; admission free; 8am-4.30pm Sat-Thu, 4pm-5.30pm Fri winter, 8am-5.30pm Sat-Thu, 4pm-5.30pm Fri summer), makes a welcome escape from the frenzy of Riyadh.
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Built of mud, this old, walled oasis town boasts a few restored buildings, but most lie in ruins, lending it an evocative, abandoned, even ghostly air. The ruins are among the most extensive old cities in the Kingdom.
Ask for the free colour pamphlet at the Visitor’s Centre; inside there’s just the odd panel with site labels.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
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